Learn how to make easy dinner rolls with no milk and no eggs! This recipe yields 24 soft and fluffy dairy free dinner rolls to serve as a side dish for family dinner or any holiday gathering.
If you're looking for the best dairy free and egg free dinner roll recipe, look no further! This is it. I've got you covered!
Whether you need dairy free buns for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or just as a side for dinner – these rolls will work their way into your rotation in no time.
Why you'll love this recipe
- No eggs? No problem! Eggless dinner rolls are just as rich and tender as classic rolls.
- These rolls are better than store bought, with no confusing ingredient list!
- They're light and airy, yet ultra comforting.
What to expect
I'm always in charge of bringing dinner rolls to family holidays and now I'm finally sharing my go-to recipe! I hope they become as big of a hit with your friends and family as they are with mine.
In short, these vegan dinner rolls are easy to make, incredibly soft, super tall and fluffy, buttery, and downright delicious!
They're simple to make, so don't get intimidated by the yeast or rise time! That's what gives the rolls their great texture and flavor.
My dairy free dinner roll recipe is relatively quick compared to others that have several rises. You'll have fresh baked bread on your dinner table in under 2 hours, from start to finish! Prep takes about 20 minutes, the resting and rising times equal 1 hour total, plus the 25 minutes they take to bake.
Equipment
I use my KitchenAid Stand Mixer fitted with the dough hook to make homemade rolls.
If you don't have a stand mixer, use a sturdy mixing bowl with a strong spatula or wooden spoon to mix. Then knead by hand on a lightly floured clean surface, until the dough is soft, smooth, and only slightly sticky.
Ingredient notes
These yeast rolls without eggs or milk come together with 6 common kitchen ingredients.
- Dairy free milk: Use your milk of choice, just make sure it's unsweetened and unflavored.
- Yeast: I suggest using instant, rapid rise yeast. It helps speed up the process more quickly than regular yeast, and I almost always have it on hand. If you only have regular yeast, use that. Your dough will just need to rest longer, resulting in a longer rise time.
- Sugar: You will need granulated sugar for these rolls. Use cane sugar, if vegan. I have not tried using coconut sugar but it should work, the rolls will just have a darker color.
- Dairy free butter: Use your favorite vegan butter! I typically have Country Crock, Miyoko's, or Earth Balance in my fridge.
- Flour: I have only tried making dairy free dinner rolls using all purpose flour. To make gluten free dinner rolls, I would try using a gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour, though I haven't tested it yet. If you try, let me know!
- Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavor and brings out the aroma of the flour and other ingredients.
To make vegan dinner rolls: Use vegan-friendly sugar and vegan butter.
Best substitute for milk in dinner rolls
Here are the best milk alternatives whether you’re lactose intolerant, vegan, ditching the dairy, or ran out of milk.
I typically make oat milk dinner rolls with my homemade oat milk, but you've got plenty of non dairy milk substitutions for baking rolls! Just make sure to use dairy free milk that's unsweetened and unflavored.
Here are my top picks:
- Almond milk: Almond milk is light and plain, with a subtle nutty flavor.
- Soy milk: Soy milk is neutral in taste, with a creamy consistency.
- Coconut milk: Coconut milk has a slightly sweet taste, which works great if you want sweet dinner rolls.
How to make dairy free dinner rolls
Scroll to the recipe card for in-depth step by step directions. Making dinner rolls from scratch is surprisingly simple, so let's get cookin!
- Proof the yeast with warm dairy free milk and sugar.
- Make the dough in the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Set dough aside to dough double in size.
- Shape the rolls and let them rise again.
- Bake dinner rolls at 375F for about 25 minutes.
What type of baking pan is best for baking rolls?
I’ve tested this recipe using a glass baking dish, metal baking pan, and sheet pan.
Of course, you what you have available to you. However, these bake best in a metal baking pan or sheet pan.
When baked in a glass baking dish, you may run into the bottoms and edges cook much quicker than the interior. If this happens, cover the baking dish with foil to prevent the tops from getting too brown.
What to serve with rolls
Dinner rolls make the perfect side dish for weeknight meals or any holiday celebration like Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, Christmas, or Easter.
Serve dairy free dinner rolls with a pat of plant based butter or seasonal fruity jam.
I also love dinner rolls paired with pumpkin soup, potato soup, or sweet potato chili!
How to store leftovers
Dairy free dinner rolls are best served warm from the oven, but can be stored in an airtight container or sealed bag for 3-5 days.
How to reheat dinner rolls
Here's how to reheat rolls if you plan on making them ahead of time or need to warm up leftovers:
Oven method: Wrap dinner rolls in foil and place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 350F in the oven or toaster oven until warmed through. This will take about 10-15 minutes. The foil is necessary so they don't dry out and become hard.
Microwave method: If you're in a time crunch or only have a couple rolls to reheat, wrap rolls in a moistened paper towel and place on a microwave-safe plate. Warm for 15-20 seconds. Check to see if warm enough then repeat if necessary.
Related recipes
Need more dairy free holiday recipes? Try these side dishes next:
- Green bean casserole
- Thanksgiving stuffing muffins
- Bacon wrapped water chestnuts
- Vegan mashed potatoes and gravy
- Pumpkin spice hummus appetizer
- Roasted root vegetables
- Dairy free sweet potato casserole
- Butternut squash mac and cheese
Dairy Free and Egg Free Dinner Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 2 cups dairy free milk (oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, etc.)
- 1 ½ tablespoon instant rapid rise yeast (2 packets)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 5-6 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon melted vegan butter (for brushing)
Instructions
- Start by melting ½ cup (full stick) vegan butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Once melted, set aside and let cool. Warm the dairy free milk in the microwave for about 1 minute, until warm but not hot, around 100F-110F.
- To the bowl of the stand mixer, add the warm dairy free milk, yeast, sugar, and salt. Gently stir together and let sit until foamy. This should take about 5 minutes. If the mixture doesn’t get frothy, start over with fresh yeast. This could happen if the yeast is expired or if the milk was too hot and killed the yeast.
- Add the melted vegan butter. Then 1 cup at a time, stir in the flour. I usually stir 4 cups by hand using a spatula, then adjust the stand mixer with the dough hook. While kneading, add the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, just until a ball of dough forms. You may not need to use all of the flour. I typically use around 5 ½ cups of flour total, but it depends on humidity and other factors. If the dough is too sticky, add extra flour. Continue to knead until a soft, smooth dough forms. It should be slightly sticky but able to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Coat a large bowl with cooking spray then transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm place. Let rise for about 30 minutes, or until it’s doubled in size.
- Once doubled in size, punch the dough down, then transfer to a lightly-floured clean work surface. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces. I like to weigh the dough then divide by 24 for equal pieces.
- Shape pieces of dough into balls and place in a greased 9x13 baking pan. You could use a sheet pan instead. It’s normal for them to touch each other. Cover with the towel again and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Remove the towel from the rolls and place baking pan into the warm oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and golden. If you notice the tops are getting too brown, place foil on top to cover until they are done.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and immediately brush with melted vegan butter. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Store leftover dinner rolls in an airtight container or sealed bag for 3-5 days.
- Oven: Wrap rolls in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350F in the oven or toaster oven until warmed through. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
- Microwave: Wrap rolls in a moistened paper towel and place on a microwave-safe plate. Warm for 15-20 seconds, repeat if needed.
Nutrition
BARBARA STOUGHTON
Made these yesterday for the first time, will make again and again! Easy and delicious! Thank you!
Jenna Urben
Hi Barbara! Thanks so much for leaving a star rating and comment, it means so much 🙂 I'm thrilled to hear you enjoyed these rolls, they're a go-to recipe around here.
Jess
When do we add the salt? Says 2tsp but I don't see where to add..
Jenna Urben
Hi Jess, good catch 🙂 Add the salt along with the warm dairy free milk, yeast, and sugar. I've updated the recipe above!